Tom Hanks Sci-Fi: Tomorrow’s World & a Quiet Dawn

A Journey Through Time and Persona: Deconstructing This World of Tomorrow

Hanks portrays Bert Allenberry, a wealthy futurist from 2100 who repeatedly travels back in time to the 1939 New York World’s Fair via a company called Chronometric Adventures. Ostensibly, he seeks inspiration from a past that envisioned a brighter future. However, his motivations quickly reveal themselves to be far more personal: an obsessive infatuation with Carmen Perry (Kelli O’Hara), a captivating divorcée visiting the fair with her niece, Virginia (Kayli Carter). The narrative structure echoes elements of Groundhog Day and Midnight in Paris, but with a disquieting undercurrent reminiscent of the ethical complexities explored in the film Passengers.

The Allure and Limitations of Nostalgia

The play doesn’t offer a pointed critique of nostalgia, nor does it fully embrace it. Instead, it allows Bert’s pursuit of Carmen to unfold with a disconcerting lack of dramatic tension. While the script acknowledges, in passing, the social injustices of the 1930s – moments where Black ensemble members subtly react to Bert’s naive optimism – these acknowledgements feel perfunctory. As Alex Poots, The Shed’s artistic director, noted to the New York Times, there’s a fleeting reference to the looming threat of authoritarianism, reduced to a hypothetical scenario involving Hitler. New York Times

A Star Vehicle, Not a Collaborative Effort

The production’s core issue isn’t a lack of talent – the cast is undeniably skilled – but a fundamental imbalance. This World of Tomorrow feels designed to showcase Tom Hanks, not to explore complex themes or characters. The script, co-written by Hanks and James Glossman, lacks a strong narrative drive, and Kenny Leon’s direction doesn’t attempt to impose one. The set design, by Derek McLane, while ambitious in its concept of a “cybernetic wilderness,” feels surprisingly sparse and underwhelming. One wonders why the production didn’t capitalize on the visual spectacle of the 1939 World’s Fair itself, recreating iconic exhibits like the famous robot or Elsie the Cow. Famous Robot, Celebrity Cow

Instead, the play often gets bogged down in technobabble and exposition, detailing the supposed scientific intricacies of time travel with little purpose. A welcome respite comes in the form of scenes set in a 1950s Greek diner, featuring a wonderfully gruff performance by Jay O. Sanders. His character, a diner owner insistent on teaching Greek vocabulary, injects a much-needed dose of authenticity and humor into the proceedings. But even his presence feels somewhat disconnected from the larger narrative, perhaps a nod to Hanks’s wife, Rita Wilson, who has Greek heritage. Rita Wilson

Ultimately, This World of Tomorrow operates on a different plane than traditional theater. It’s less about storytelling and more about experiencing the aura of Tom Hanks. He possesses a rare magnetism, a comforting familiarity that resonates with audiences. His delivery of lines about the scarcity of real milk in the future elicits genuine amusement, not because of the joke itself, but because it’s Tom Hanks delivering it. It begs the question: are we attending a play, or are we participating in a collective act of admiration?

What responsibility do artists have to challenge their audiences, and can a performance solely reliant on star power truly be considered art? And, considering the play’s exploration of time and future possibilities, do you believe the 1939 World’s Fair still holds relevance as a symbol of optimistic innovation today?

Frequently Asked Questions About This World of Tomorrow

• What is This World of Tomorrow about?

  This World of Tomorrow centers on Bert Allenberry, a man from the future who repeatedly travels to the 1939 World’s Fair, ostensibly to study the past’s optimistic vision, but primarily to pursue a relationship with a woman named Carmen Perry.

• Is This World of Tomorrow a traditional play?

  No, This World of Tomorrow deviates from traditional play structures. It’s more of a theatrical exploration or a “flight of fancy,” heavily reliant on the presence and persona of Tom Hanks.

• What role does Tom Hanks play in This World of Tomorrow?

  Tom Hanks stars as Bert Allenberry and is also a co-writer of the play, making it a significant vehicle for his creative expression and public image.

• What are some of the themes explored in This World of Tomorrow?

  The play touches upon themes of nostalgia, the allure of the past, the complexities of time travel, and the potential for obsession, though it doesn’t delve deeply into any of them.

• Is the set design in This World of Tomorrow visually impressive?

  Despite a substantial budget, the set design is considered sparse and underwhelming, lacking the visual richness one might expect from a production centered around the 1939 World’s Fair.